Coronavirus live news: US deaths pass 40,000 as Italy records lowest fatalities in a week
Trump criticises China and WHO over pandemic; death rates in Spain and Netherlands fall; Iran to extend prisoner leave for another month. Follow latest updates
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Things are really going downhill at the White House briefing. CNN’s reporter has just asked Trump if he was duped by President Xi on the virus. “You people are so pathetic at CNN” is Trump’s response.
In terms of actual news from this press conference, the top line seems to be that he says a deal with the Democrats is close on the latest relief bill for small businesses and workers … and could be resolved as soon as tomorrow.
We’re going to get straight into Donald Trump’s daily news conference, where angry exchanges with journalists are continuing in the question and answer phase. He’s just been asked by a CNN journalist why he (Trump) finds it necessary to play video clips in his conferences praising his response to the virus. Trump is very unhappy about the question: “You are fake news, you are CNN,” he says. “You’re never going to treat me fairly, understand that. I got here on the most unfair press treatment.”
This follow two angry exchanges with female journalists. One asked him why he didn’t warn Americans about the virus earlier. Trump responded by asking the reporter which network she was from (CBS). She followed up her question and he tells her to “relax”. He didn’t answer and went back to his stock answer that he put a ban on flights from China in the end of January.
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